The First Encounter
by JennieRyan
Summary: Crutchie never thought he'd meet someone who made his heart soar, yet here he was. Head over heels in love.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! I'm JennieRyan (AKA Historical Fangirl on AO3) and this is one of my stories. I already posted it on AO3 several months ago, and now I've decided to post it here as well. I hope everyone enjoys it!**

 _February 1900_

"'Ey, Crutchie! Hurry up, all the papes are gonna be gone!"

"I'm comin', Race! Just forgot my scarf!" Crutchie called back, ignoring Race's grumbling as he slipped back inside the now vacant lodging house and headed towards his bunk.

As Crutchie had predicted, his scarf was hanging on the end of his bed. Grabbing it and quickly tying it securely around his neck, Crutchie turned around and bumped straight into a young woman, causing her to drop the bucket she had been carrying and spill soapy water all over the floor.

"Oh! Shoot, I'm so sorry!" Crutchie cried in dismay, trying to bend down and pick up the bucket for her.

"I can get it," the girl replied hurriedly, carefully righting the bucket and smiling softly at Crutchie.

Crutchie swallowed hard, finding himself unexpectedly tongue-tied as he took in the sight of the girl. She was petite, with hair so dark brown it was almost black. She regarded Crutchie with a bemused expression, tilting her head slightly as she spoke with a light Irish brogue. "Are you alright?"

Crutchie snapped out of his daze and cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Sorry about your bucket."

The girl smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. The water was supposed to go on the floor anyway."

Crutchie chuckled, then glanced at the door. "I'd, uh, I'd better get goin'."

"Yes, you'd better," the girl said, still smiling. "You don't want them to run out of newspapers."

Crutchie smiled back at the girl, tipping his cap in goodbye. As he hurried out of the front door of the lodging house and started towards the newspaper distribution center a large grin painted itself on his face, although he wasn't entirely sure why.

 _ **-Break-**_

"Race?"

"Hmm?" Race hummed in acknowledgment, not looking up from the deck of cards he was shuffling as he lounged on his bunk across from Crutchie's.

"D'ya know the name of the new girl who works here? She's short with dark hair?"

"Jennie, I think," Race replied, looking up at Crutchie with his brow furrowed in confusion. "Why?"

Crutchie shrugged. "Just wonderin' was all."

Race studied Crutchie's face for a minute longer, then grinned mischievously. "I get what this is about. You like her, don't ya?"

Crutchie turned bright red and began sputtering in protest. "No! No, that ain't it. I- I don't got any interest in her."

Race laughed. "Whatever you say, pal. Whatever you say."

 _ **-Break-**_

Oh! Hello," Jennie exclaimed as she entered the bunkroom the next morning to see Crutchie standing by his bed. "I thought everyone had left already."

"They have," Crutchie said. "I stayed behind ta see you."

"Oh?"

"I wanted ta apologize properly for yesterday," Crutchie said. "I felt bad for addin' to your workload."

"I told you, it's perfectly alright," Jennie replied. "No harm done."

Crutchie shrugged. "I still felt bad. So I, um, I got ya somethin' ta make up for it." He held out a small object wrapped in a sheet of newspaper.

Jennie raised her eyebrows in surprise, gently taking the package from Crutchie an unwrapping it. She grinned happily as she pulled out a small piece of candy in the shape of a smiley face. "I love it. Thank you…"

"Crutchie," Crutchie said.

"Your name is Crutchie?" Jennie asked doubtfully.

"I mean, it ain't my real name but it's what everyone calls me."

"Well, I'm not everyone. What's your real name?"

Crutchie smiled softly. "Charlie. Charlie Morris."

Jennie smiled back. "Nice to meet you, Charlie Morris. I'm Jennie Ryan."

"Nice ta meet you too, Jennie Ryan," Crutchie responded.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence for a minute, until Jennie pointed over Crutchie's shoulder at the clock on the wall behind him. "You'd better get going. The morning bell rang ten minutes ago."

"Shoot, yeah." Crutchie turned and hurried toward the door. "Bye!" he called over his shoulder.

"Goodbye!" Jennie called back with a smile. "Goodbye, Charlie."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this so far. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

"You're awfully quiet, kid. What's up?" Jack asked as he took a bite of his sandwich.

Crutchie shrugged noncommittally, staring down at his bowl of soup. He and Jack were sitting at a small table in Jacobi's, eating lunch together like they did every Sunday. It was a tradition they had formed after Jack stopped selling newspapers and took a full-time job as a cartoonist at The World, and normally Crutchie was full of stories to tell Jack after a busy week. Today, though, he had barely said three words.

Jack fixed Crutchie with a knowing look. "Kid. I've known ya for near on 10 years, I know when somethin's botherin' you. What is it?"

Crutchie was quiet for a minute, then sighed. "I- I met someone a couple days ago," he mumbled.

"Oh-ho, Crutchie's got himself a girl!" Jack crowed happily, drawing the stares of several people nearby.

"Shut up, Jack," Crutchie hissed, his cheeks turning bright red. "I ain't got anythin'. She don't even like me like that."

"How do ya know? Did she say that?" Jack challenged.

"No," Crutchie grumbled. "But I know she doesn't. She can't."

"Ya won't know unless ya ask," Jack stated matter-of-factly. "An' ya don't gotta ask her to marry you, you just gotta ask her on a date. That's what I did with Katherine."

"That ain't the same thing. You'd already kissed her, you knew she liked you!" Crutchie protested.

"That's true," Jack admitted. "But you should still ask this girl! The worst she can say is no, right?"

"I guess," Crutchie acquiesced. "But what if she says no an' it ruins our friendship?"

Jack sighed. "Look Crutch, if ya really like this girl that's a risk you're gonna have to take. It's your decision."

Crutchie considered this, then nodded. "I think- I think I'm gonna ask her." He smiled. "Thanks, Jack."

Jack grinned. "Anytime, kid."

 _ **-Break-**_

"Jennie!" Crutchie called across the crowded dining room, waving at her as she glanced up at him.

"Hello, Charlie!" Jennie called back, grinning as she weaved through the crowd of hungry newsboys to where he was standing. "How are you?"

"I'm good, thanks. You?"

Jennie lit up like a candle, pulling a small square of paper out of her apron pocket. "My boyfriend who lives in Albany sent me a letter today. He's coming to visit me in two weeks!"

Crutchie's smiled faded, and his heart clenched. He forced himself to keep his voice even as he spoke. "That's great, Jennie."

"Thank you, Charlie. Anyway, did you want to talk to me about anything else?" Jennie asked happily, oblivious to the turmoil which was taking place inside him.

"No. No, I just wanted ta say hello," Crutchie replied, smiling thinly.

"Well, it was nice seeing you again," Jennie said, turning to go back into the kitchen.

Crutchie stared after her for a long minute, lost in his thoughts. He was interrupted by Romeo bumping into him as he made his way to his seat at the long table for dinner. "Sorry, Crutchie! Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, Romeo. I'm fine. Just not super hungry tonight is all. I think I'm gonna head up to the penthouse for some air."

"Okay," Romeo said, frowning in concern. Crutchie only went to the roof when he was feeling really down, now that Jack had moved out of the lodging house. "Want me ta save you anythin'?"

"No thanks, Rome. I'll be fine," Crutchie replied.

Still in something of a trance Crutchie made his way through the crowd towards the door to the roof. Ignoring the stares of the other boys he slowly climbed the ladder and pulled himself up onto the metal fire escape. The cold winter air blew, ruffling Crutchie's hair and turning his cheeks and the tip of his nose pink.

Crutchie ignored all of this, however, as he gazed out over the city. He was oblivious to everything and everyone except the view and his thoughts. He didn't even notice the hot tears streaming down his face until they froze to his face.

 **A/N: I would love some more reviews to this story, please don't hesitate to tell me what you think about it.**


	3. Chapter 3

Crutchie avoided Jennie for the rest of the week, despite her giving him strange looks and trying to talk to him like normal. Crutchie's odd behavior wasn't lost on the other boys either, especially Race.

"I know what you're doin'." Race remarked one evening as Crutchie sat across from him reading a book.

"What's that?" Crutchie said, not looking up from his book.

"Stayin' away from Jennie because you like her."

Crutchie sighed, still refusing to meet Race's eyes. "I like her so I'm stayin' away from her? That makes no sense, Race."

"Exactly. Which is why I don't get why you'se doin' it." Race replied.

"I don't like her," Crutchie insisted quietly.

Race snorted. "Ya expect me ta believe that? I can read ya like an open book, kid."

Crutchie didn't respond for a minute, but finally, he mumbled something Race couldn't quite make out. "What'd you say?" Race asked.

"I said she's got a boyfriend!" Crutchie exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice. "She's taken, Race."

Race studied Crutchie quietly for a moment, then spoke. "I- I'm sorry, kid. I had no clue."

"Neither did I," Crutchie grumbled, a fierce scowl now etched on his face.

Race didn't respond, he simply hummed in acknowledgment.

 _ **-Break-**_

A few days later Crutchie had again climbed up to the roof of the lodging house after dinner, preferring its quiet solitude to the raucous energy downstairs. Tonight was different, however. As Crutchie stood in silence, lost in his thoughts, he suddenly heard a quiet sniffing noise.

A quick glance at his surroundings revealed no one, and Crutchie decided that he must have imagined the noise when he heard it again, followed by the sound of someone taking a few shaky breaths.

Tracing the sound to behind a pile of crates on the edge of the roof, Crutchie slowly approached them. His crutch made a clanging sound against the metal of the roof, and he silently cursed. He didn't want to scare whoever was up here away, not when they sounded so distraught.

Rounding the corner of the roof Crutchie slowly peeked behind the wooden boxes. He was expecting one of the younger boys, or perhaps a runaway who had found shelter here, but that wasn't the sight that met his eyes. Instead, he saw a young woman curled up in a ball, clutching a crumpled piece of paper in her hands.

"Miss? You alright?" Crutchie asked hesitantly, unsure of what was going on.

The woman looked up at him in surprise, and Crutchie realized with a jolt that it was- "Jennie?"

"Charlie," Jennie breathed. "I didn't know you were up here."

"I didn't know you were, either," Crutchie replied, feeling his cheeks heat up. He took in her disheveled appearance. "What's wrong?"

Jennie suddenly looked away from Crutchie, setting her jaw. She was quiet for a long moment, then she finally handed Crutchie the piece of paper she had been holding. "Go on. Read it."

Crutchie hesitated, not sure if he wanted to know what had upset Jennie so much. His curiosity won out in the end, however, and he slowly began to read the neat script flowing across the page.

 _February 23rd, 1900_

 _My dear Jennie,_

 _We have been together for almost a year now, and it has been one of the happiest years of my life. I know you feel the same way, which is why I deeply regret having to tell you this._

 _My father has decided it is time for me to "man up" as he put it, and to that end, he has arranged for me to marry a young woman named Elizabeth King. We are to be married in August._

 _I feel I cannot refuse my father's wishes, he is my only family in the world and I respect him deeply. I also do not wish to hurt you in any way, you deserve far better than that. Therefore I must withdraw from our understanding, and not continue to see you._

 _I hope you understand that this is for the best, Jennie. I care for you greatly, and so I hope you will be able to move on and find someone else who will make you as happy as you have made me._

 _Yours,_

 _John Merriwether_

Crutchie's mouth hung open slightly as he finished reading the letter. Whatever he had been expecting, it hadn't been this.

Jennie chuckled bitterly at Crutchie's shocked expression. "I worked for the Merriwether family for two years before I moved to the city. John and I have been seeing each other for about a year, and he said he loved me." She scoffed. "I should have known better than to trust him, he was never going to give up his fortune for me."

"That don't make it right for him ta hurt you," Crutchie said softly, his heart aching for Jennie. "Fortune or no fortune, he tricked ya."

Jennie shrugged. "It's my fault, really. I was naive and far too trusting, and he took advantage of that."

"I wouldn't take advantage of you." The words were out of Crutchie's mouth before he could stop them, and Jennie looked up at him in surprise.

Crutchie smiled sheepishly. "I probably shouldn't 'a said that huh?"

"Charlie… I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't," Jennie said softly, her eyes filled with tears.

"I know," Crutchie nodded. "But I needed ta say that. I needed you to hear it."

Crutchie wordlessly handed Jennie back her letter, then turned to leave. He heard Jennie call his name, but he ignored her. His heart had once again been shattered, and he wanted to be alone.

 **A/N: I would like to thank everyone who has left reviews on this story so far, reviews are the best feedback an author can get. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: There are some ableist slurs in this chapter, so if that bothers you I would recommend not reading from the sentence that starts with "You ain't much of a protector, are ya?" to the end.**

Things were much worse between Crutchie and Jennie after Crutchie's revelation.

To be fair to Crutchie, he hadn't expected things to improve. But neither had he expected things to become so tense and awkward that the two could hardly stand to be in a room together for more than a few minutes.

Everyone else noticed the new dynamic between the two, even Jack. They noticed how Jennie was quiet and pale as she went about her work, and how the light in Crutchie's eyes seemed to have gone out. No one brought it up, however, not wanting to make the situation worse. Most of the newsies knew the pain of a broken heart, and so they were quietly sympathetic from afar.

 _ **-Break-**_

"Crutchie!" Crutchie looked around in surprise after he heard someone call his name, spotting Katherine across the street after a few moments. He smiled half-heartedly at her and gave a little wave.

Katherine frowned slightly upon observing how subdued Crutchie was, and she quickly hurried across the street to where he was standing with his stack of newspapers. "Hello, Crutchie," she greeted.

"Heya, Katherine. Nice ta see you," Crutchie replied, absentmindedly adjusting the strap of his newspaper bag.

"What's wrong?" Katherine asked, cocking her head slightly.

"Nothin's wrong," Crutchie assured her, though his tone wasn't particularly enthusiastic.

"Are you sure?" Katherine pressed. "You seem… off. You're not getting sick are you?"

"Nah, I'se just a bit tired is all. I was up late last night, playin' poker with Race," Crutchie lied, hoping he sounded convincing.

Katherine's concerned expression morphed into one of disbelief, and she raised an eyebrow. "Really? You were playing poker with Race? I thought you gave that up after he won fifty cents off of you two months ago."

"Well, I decided ta give it another go. He only won ten cents off me this time, so I'd call that progress." Crutchie chuckled woodenly.

Katherine considered this for a minute longer, then finally nodded. "Okay," she acquiesced. "Well, I suppose I'll see you around?"

Crutchie nodded. "Yeah. See ya around, Katherine."

Katherine hesitated for a second more, then smiled back and slowly began to walk away from Crutchie. She had almost reached the corner of the street when she turned around and looked back at him. "Crutchie?" she called.

"Yeah?"

"You know you can tell me anything, right? You're Jack's brother, and that makes you mine too."

Crutchie smiled softly. "Thanks, Katherine."

"Of course, Crutchie."

 _ **-Break-**_

Walking back to the lodging house that evening, Crutchie thought about what Katherine had said to him. He hated the idea of lying to her, however small a lie it was, and he considered her a close friend. But he also wanted to keep his heartbreak to himself for however long he could, he hated the idea of Katherine or anyone else pitying him.

Crutchie was pulled out of his head as he rounded a corner and passed the alley next to the lodging house, from which voices- two male and one female- spilled. "Come on girlie, ya know ya wanna come with us. We can show ya a good time."

"Don't touch me!"

Crutchie stopped dead. He knew that voice. It was low and rich but soft and sweet at the same time. It was Jennie's voice. And at the moment it was laced with anger and fear.

"Come on, honey. We know all about girls like you…"

"You don't know anything about me, you bastard."

"Hey!" Crutchie cried from where he was standing in the mouth of the alley, causing all three of them to turn their heads and look at him in surprise.

"Charlie, what are you doing? Get out of here!" Jennie cried frantically, and the two men chuckled.

"You ain't much of a protector, are ya? Now, why don't you do as your girlfriend says an' get out of here, crip."

Crutchie swallowed hard, his hand tightening on his crutch. Oh, how he hated that word.

Seeing that Crutchie wasn't going anywhere, the man's triumphant grin faded. "What, are ya deaf as well as lame? I said get outta here!"

"I ain't goin' anywhere without her," Crutchie stated firmly, surprising himself with how steady his voice sounded. "Let her go now."

The other man stepped towards Crutchie from the shadows, growling menacingly. "I don't think so. We got some… unfinished business with her."

"Well, then I guess I'll have ta take her by force," Crutchie responded instantly, taking a deep breath as he prepared to fight. Spot had been teaching him self-defense down at the docks ever since the strike ended, and he was confident he could hold his own.

The men shared a glance, then laughed heartily. They both stepped forward as they glared intimidatingly down at Crutchie. "I'd like to see you try, crip."

Crutchie glared back at the two men fiercely, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He took a deep breath, said a quick silent prayer, and swung a fist at the first man's face.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Well, here is the last chapter of this story. Thank you sincerely to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. I hope you enjoyed reading this.**

"Stop fidgeting, Charlie. You're making it worse."

"But it hurts!"

"Well, if you held still it wouldn't hurt as much."

Crutchie grumbled at Jennie's logic, but he did his best to stop moving around nevertheless. He and Jennie were sitting across from each other in the kitchen of the lodging house, and she was currently dabbing some sort of ointment on the cuts and bruises which riddled his face after his fight with the men in the alley. Crutchie had, fortunately, won, having the advantage of proper training and being sober. He would have to thank Spot later.

Jennie was quiet as she finished cleaning Crutchie up, her eyes full guilt and an emotion Crutchie couldn't quite place. When she finally spoke, her voice was thick. "You didn't have to help me."

Crutchie looked at her incredulously. "'Course I did, Jennie. If I hadn't, you wouldn't be here right now."

"But you wouldn't be hurt," Jennie responded, her voice soft.

"I've had worse," Crutchie shrugged. "An' besides, I've got you ta take care of me."

Jennie chuckled, beginning to clean up the medical supplies she had spread across the kitchen table. "That's true. I'll always look after you."

Crutchie raised his eyebrows. "Always?"

Jennie's eyes widened as she realized what she had just said. "Well, I- you know what I mean."

"No, I don't," Crutchie said, frustration creeping into his voice. "I don't know what's between us Jennie, an' it's drivin' me insane. You know how I feel about you, an' if you don't feel the same way that's fine, but I'd like to know!"

"Be careful what you wish for," Jennie murmured, turning away from Crutchie. The silence hung between them for a minute, thick and suffocating, until Jennie finally spoke again. "I've thought a lot about you, Charlie, since that night a few weeks ago. Almost constantly, in fact."

Crutchie swallowed hard, bracing himself for the rejection he was sure was coming.

"I realized that… that I like you too. A lot. Since we first met. I tried to push it away because I was with John and I was sure he was the one for me, but when he broke my heart I realized that I wanted to run to you. I wanted you to be there for me, and help me. I wanted you to hold me and tell me everything would be alright. I wanted-" Jennie's voice cracked, and a few stray tears ran down her face.

Crutchie was on his feet in an instant, and he pulled Jennie into a warm and comforting hug as her tears escalated into sobs. For what seemed like ages (but was in reality only a few minutes) Crutchie held Jennie tightly, whispering comforting nonsense words in her ear like he remembered his mother doing whenever he was upset. Finally, Jennie's sobs quieted and she pulled away, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment at having thoroughly soaked Crutchie's shirt.

"Don't be," Crutchie smiled reassuringly at Jennie. "An' about what you said… I feel the same way. I want to be there for you."

Jennie smiled softly. "Thank you, Charlie."

Crutchie hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was the right moment to tell Jennie this, but he decided there would never be a perfect moment to say what he wanted to. "Jennie… d'ya think maybe you could be there for me too?"

Jennie blinked, taking a minute to process Crutchie's unexpected question. Finally, her face broke into a dazzling grin. "Is this your way of asking me out on a date?"

"Uh, yeah," Crutchie said. "Did it work?"

Jennie didn't respond, she simply planted a light kiss on Crutchie's forehead. Crutchie was taken aback at this gesture of affection, and he blushed bright red. Jennie giggled. "Of course I'll go on a date with you, you _leathcheann_."

 **A/N: Roughly translated, 'leathcheann' means 'idiot' in Irish.**

 **I have several more stories about Crutchie and Jennie already written and published on my AO3 account, and my goal is to get them published on here as well in the next few weeks. I hope everyone is looking forward to that, and again, thank you for reading.**


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